When you have a film like Rang De Basanti to your credit, comparisons are bound to be made. But that would be rather unfair, so this one shall be judged purely on its own merit.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT:
When you have a film like Rang De Basanti to your credit, comparisons are bound to be made. But that would be rather unfair, so this one shall be judged purely on its own merit. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Delhi-6 is bland fare despite all the right ingredients. He attempts multiple plots and situations each with a deeper message and in the bargain, cannot even get one of them right. The film begins with US-based Roshan (Abhishek Bachchan) returning to Delhi because his dying grandmother (Waheeda Rehman) wants to spend her last days in her hometown. Roshan is overwhelmed by the capital city and its people. As friends and family accept him into their fold, Roshan gets drawn towards Bittu (Sonam Kapoor) who dreams of becoming a pop star. But Roshan soon realises how delicate these newly-formed relationships are as he gets embroiled into the life-threatening game of communal divide and politics.u00a0u00a0u00a0
WHAT'S HOT:
To Mehra's credit, he has shot Delhi like a dream. We've seen the plush side of the city very often but Mehra captures the old and rustic Delhi, which has its own unique charm. He brings forth the old-world charm of kothis, crowded bylanes and the sea of people rather effortlessly. Scenes like Eid at the Jama Masjid and the spectacular Ram Leela are awe-inspiring. The manner is which Rakeysh depicts how the monkey man story develops on TV, is a reflection of the times we live in. The mood of the film is subtle and smooth at times, it almost looks like a Sooraj Barjatya movie with a different sensibility. A R Rahman's musical score is delightful watch out for the Genda Phool track where Mehra even gets Waheeda Rehman to do a classic jig. Among the performances, Abhishek Bachchan is supremely restrained and gives his best to the character. Sonam Kapoor is a talent to watch for despite an ill-defined role, she stands out. Waheeda Rehman is perfectly cast; Pawan Malhotra scores once again and Deepak Dobriyal as the Muslim restaurant owner is excellent. Rishi Kapoor and Divya Dutta deserve special mention.
WHAT'S NOT:
u00a0Mehra complicates things with convoluted tracks and confusing screenplay. The problems unfold right from the beginning the scene of Roshan's first time in Delhi is like a Hyderabad Blues episode. The establishing of his varied characters is flawed for example, brothers Om Puri and Pawan Malhotra are at war why? We see Bittu's bua many times but the script leaves it at that. The Atul Kulkarni-Divya Dutta track is added just for the sake of delving into the 'untouchability' issue again, Mehra only scratches it from the surface. This is the film's undoing Mehra trying to focus on far too many issues. There's the Hindu-Muslim clash; forced arranged marriages; religion in politics and most importantly, the Monkey Man. Mehra uses the Monkey Man to illustrate a more pertinent point but that falls flat. There are no highs and lows in this film it just wavers around until you finally lose your patience. The bursts of Ram Leela scenes throughout the movie serve no purpose. The climax is easily the worst we've seen in recent times. From being tense and dramatic in one scene, it suddenly becomes preachy in the next and shockingly farcical, thereon.
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WHAT TO DO:
Watch it only if you're as obsessed with the Monkey Man as Rakeysh Mehra is else, save your money for some Bandar Chhap Danth Manjan.u00a0
Delhi 6
**1/2
Dir: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor
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